Kit fox

This article is about the fox species. For young foxes of any species, see fox.

Kit fox
San Joaquin kit fox sitting
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Vulpes
Species:
V. macrotis[1]
Binomial name
Vulpes macrotis[1]
Merriam, 1888
Subspecies
V. m. macrotis
V. m. mutica
      distribution
Synonyms[1]
  • Vulpes muticus Merriam, 1902
  • Vulpes neomexicanus Merriam, 1903
  • Vulpes arsipus Elliot, 1904
  • Vulpes devius Nelson and Goldman, 1909
  • Vulpes arizonensis Goldman, 1931
  • Vulpes nevadensis Goldman, 1931
  • Vulpes tenuirostris Nelson and Goldman, 1931
  • Vulpes zinseri Benson, 1938

The kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) is a fox species that inhabits arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern and central Mexico. These foxes are the smallest of the four species of Vulpes occurring in North America and are among the smallest of the vulpines worldwide. It has also been called a North American counterpart of the fennec fox due to its large ears.[3]

  1. ^ a b Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–628. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  2. ^ Cypher, B.; List, R. (2014). "Vulpes macrotis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T41587A62259374. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T41587A62259374.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sheldon1992 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).